Fórsa was continuing focussed discussions aimed at achieving the earliest possible safe resumption of school-based services to students with additional needs as this bulletin went to press.

Following huge media interest and a Dáil debate last week, the union said it believed the process was most likely to have a successful outcome if it was conducted on a professional basis, rather than through a running commentary in the media.

Since then, the Government announced that the high number of Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations meant that schools will not open fully before mid-March.

Tánaiste Leo Varakdar said that the prospect of a safe and phased reopening of schools, with priority for services to children with special needs, would be enhanced when the daily number of new cases fell to levels experienced when schools were last open in the September-October period.

In a communication to SNAs and other school staff last week, Fórsa said: “It’s our intention to continue to explore realistic measures to improve safety provision and re-build confidence, just as we were doing prior to the Government’s announcement [not to reopen school-based services] on Tuesday (19th January).”

Most commentators believe additional safety measures and a sustained reduction in the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the community could lead to progress.

Last week’s Dáil statements by the minister for education, and the minister for special education and inclusion, suggested that the Government was willing to work with unions and other stakeholders to make in-school provision for students with special education available as soon as possible, and to urgently progress home-based services in the meantime.

Fórsa said it shared these goals and would continue to work with the education department towards the resumption of these vital services in the shortest possible timeframe compatible with the safety of students and staff.

“SNAs and others working in SEN (special educational needs) provision are more aware than most of the urgent need to begin the resumption of services. It remains Fórsa’s belief that this can and should be done in ways that underpin the safety of students, staff and others during this awful pandemic,” it said.

Paid-up Fórsa members working in the civil and public service, and in non-commercial State agencies, have now received an email with a ‘unique voter code,’ which enables them to cast their vote in the ballot on a proposed new public service agreement.

The union is urging members to update their details or contact the ballot helpdesk if they haven’t received their ‘unique voter code,’ or if they’re having difficulty voting on the deal called Building Momentum.

The union has also produced short videos about the ballot and how to vote.

If accepted, Building Momentum would run from January 2021 to December 2022. It allows for two pay increases, each worth 1% of annual salary or €500 a year, whichever is the greater. This means the deal is worth substantially more for lower paid workers in percentage terms.

A third increase, worth a further 1%, would be available for grade-based bargaining for all public service grades. This could either be used to deal with issues affecting particular grades, or it could be taken as a straight 1% pay award.

Building Momentum is also the first public service agreement to address additional working hours introduced for many civil and public servants under the 2013 Haddington Road agreement.

The ballot closes on Thursday 11^th February.

The unique voter codes ensure the security and integrity of the ballot because it means only eligible Fórsa members can vote in the secret ballot, and that they can only vote once.

In a first for the union, the national ballot is being conducted entirely electronically because of ‘level five’ Covid restrictions on travel and assembly. Fórsa deputy general secretary Matt Staunton said it had been necessary for the union to quickly adopted electronic voting to allow the ballot to go ahead.

“Fórsa members should make their voice heard, and not let others decide for you. The union is making every effort to ensure that eligible members get their chance to vote. If you are reading this, and know of colleagues who don’t currently get the Fórsa ebulletin, please urge them to go the website and submit their contact details through the ‘update my details’ icon,” he said.

Last month, Fórsa’s elected National Executive overwhelmingly decided to recommend acceptance of the agreement.

Get details of the proposed agreement HERE.  

It’s never been more important – or more easy – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact us HERE. 

Taoiseach Micheál Martin this week confirmed that the high number of Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations means that schools will not be able to open fully before Saint Patrick’s Day.

Tánaiste Leo Varakdar added that case numbers would soon below the levels experienced when schools were open in the autumn. He said this held out the prospect of a safe and phased reopening of schools, with priority for school-based services to children with special needs.

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) last week issued fresh guidance on the arrangements that could be put in place for staff whose childcare arrangements are hit by school and crèche closures. It notes that the Level Five guidelines say childminders and other childcare arrangements can remain open for children of essential workers and vulnerable children.

While there is no special paid leave available for Covid-related caring responsibilities, the DPER advice to managers points them towards flexible work arrangements including staggered hours, weekend work, and remote working.

Schools reopened between September and December last year, with full cooperation from staff. But the scheduled January re-opening was shelved as the country continued to grapple with the third wave of the pandemic.

Fórsa has called for a focus on a general reopening of schools once there is an established downward trajectory in the number of Covid-19 cases and fresh public health advice that it is safe to do so.

The Government announced this week that Level Five measures would stay in force until early March at the earliest, with some restrictions expected to remain in place for the first half of the year at least.

An Taoiseach said mobilising a million people to open schools was not compatible with reducing the transmission rate and giving hospitals a chance to recover.

Meanwhile, no decision has been made on arrangements for this year's leaving certificate exams. The Government has come under pressure to develop options for sixth year students, including predicted grades and the option to re-sit the exam at a later date. Consultation with relevant unions are currently underway.

It’s never been more important – or more easy – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact us HERE.

If accepted, the proposed new public service agreement, Building Momentum, would run from January 2021 to December 2022. It allows for two pay increases, each worth 1% of annual salary or €500 a year, whichever is the greater.

This means the deal is worth substantially more for lower paid workers in percentage terms.

A third increase, worth a further 1%, would be available for grade-based bargaining for all public service grades. This could either be used to deal with issues affecting particular grades, or it could be taken as a straight 1% pay award.

The package also retains existing protections against the privatisation and outsourcing of public services. And it preserves the €100 cap on CORU registration fees for health and social care professionals.

Building Momentum also requires the education department to consult with Fórsa about the possible updating of the SNA contract, including the appropriate use of the contracted 72 hours. This provides the first opportunity to renegotiate the SNA contract for over 15 years.

Haddington Road hours

If accepted, the deal would also address the additional hours introduced for many civil and public servants under the 2013 Haddington Road agreement – with the first reduction in working time kicking in next year.

This would be done through the establishment of an independent body by the end of March 2021. It would make recommendations to begin the process of returning to pre-Haddington Road hours in 2022, with €150 million set aside to commence implementation.

Then there’s provision for a successor agreement to engage on the roll-out of additional recommendations if necessary. You can read more on the Haddington Road hours HERE. 

Building Momentum also includes certain productivity measures, as is the case in all public service agreements. But union negotiators faced down attempts to introduce open competitions for all posts, a five-over-seven working week, and other unacceptable measures. Like previous deals, it also includes an ‘industrial peace’ clause.

Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan, who led the union negotiating team as chair of the ICTU Public Services Committee, said the outcome represented a positive short-term package, negotiated against a difficult background, to build on the momentum of recent pay restoration and public service flexibility and service quality.

“The proposals are substantially weighted towards lower-income civil and public servants, and they represent solid progress on the three priorities we outlined at the outset of the talks. These were a mechanism to address issues outstanding from the Haddington Road agreement, including additional working time, a separate mechanism to address sectoral issues, and a realistic and acceptable approach to pay.

“This isn’t everything we all wish for. But it includes important advances and vital protections that will not exist in the absence of an agreement, and is the best that could have been achieved at this time. If the deal is not ratified, we will have no public service agreement in place,” he said.

Fórsa is conducting an electronic ballot of eligible members. You can read about that HERE.

Get the full details HERE.

Read the full agreement HERE.

It’s never been more important – or more easy – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact us HERE. 

A worrying 47% of Irish workplaces were found to be in breach of Covid-19 guidelines following Health and Safety Authority (HSA) safety inspections since last May. Almost half of the 5,000-plus workplaces viewed by the authority didn’t have proper measures in place to prevent the spread of the virus.

The HSA has received over 2,000 complaints in relation to the virus.

Last May saw agreement between unions, employers and the Government on a Covid ‘work safety protocol,’ which put the HSA at the centre of enforcement guarantees.

Although it was drawn up in the context of a significant ‘return to work’ after the first wave of the coronavirus, unions subsequently won confirmation that it applies to all workplaces, regardless of whether staff have spent some time working remotely. Fórsa also won confirmation that it applies in the civil and public service.

The protocol insists that employers recognise at least one Covid-19 worker safety representative – and more in larger employments.

The HSA statement on Covid breaches came as Fórsa claimed a large number of public service employers were flouting restrictions by unnecessarily requiring staff to attend workplaces when remote working was a viable alternative. Union officials have since reported an improved employer response in many sectors.

The official economy-wide Government advice at Level Five is that employees should work from home unless they perform “an essential health, social care or other essential service,” which “cannot be done from home.”

It’s never been more important – or more easy – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact us HERE.

Fórsa has called for engagement with unions on an official target that 20% of public service operations should be done remotely. The union wants to ensure that staff have fair access to remote work, which it says should be organised largely on a ‘hybrid’ basis with staff blending time spent working at home and in the workplace.

Fórsa also questioned whether the 20% target is ambitious enough, when the experience of home working during the Covid-19 emergency had demonstrated that many roles can be carried out remotely in ways that are productive, cost-effective and attractive to employers and staff.

A large survey of Fórsa members, conducted last year, showed a strong appetite for a hybrid model, and also ranked fair access to remote work as the most important issue for staff.

Earlier this month the union gave an initial welcome to headline measures set out in the Government’s new remote working strategy, called ‘Making remote work.’ But the union called for engagement with unions on the detailed roll-out of the proposals.

Fórsa’s head of communications, Bernard Harbor, said it was essential to avoid a situation where a relatively small number of people work at home all the time, and others are denied the opportunity. “It’s important that employers, in the public service and elsewhere, work with staff representatives to ensure fair access to remote work on a mainly hybrid basis,” he said.

The Government strategy includes pledges to give workers a legal right to request remote working and introduce a legally admissible code of practice on the right to disconnect. Both of these issues were highlighted in Fórsa’s 2020 submission to the official remote working consultation.

‘Making remote work,’ which envisages that remote working will “become the norm” for 20% of public sector staff, also promises a review of the tax treatment of costs associated with working at home – and other issues raised by unions.

Bernard said the strategy addressed a number of issues highlighted by the union in its submission to the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment.

“Fórsa has welcomed the pledge to establish legal rights to disconnect and to request remote working, which would bring Ireland closer to European best practice. But there needs to be engagement with trade unions and other stakeholders on the detail of these and other proposals to ensure that fair access to remote working and proper protections for all staff, regardless of where they work,” he said.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) also gave a broad welcome to the promise of legal rights on flexible working and the right to disconnect.

“Plans to have the Workplace Relations Commission draft legally enforceable regulations on workers’ right to switch off from work-related calls and messages outside of working hours without consequences for not replying is a good starting point to tackle the always-on work culture,” according to ICTU’s social policy officer Laura Bambrick.

Laura also said the current approach to reimbursing expenses associated with home working was inadequate. “Remote workers should not have to carry the business costs, whether in the form of higher utility bills or the daily desk charge at a hub,” she said.

It’s never been more important – or more easy – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact us HERE.

The HSE has agreed to recruit a significant number of administrative staff to assist in the roll-out of vaccinations to the public. The move came after Fórsa proposed setting aside normal recruitment procedures to ensure that enough staff are in place to quickly address the challenge of mass vaccination.

The union says a significant block of staff will be needed to support the mass roll-out of Covid-19 vaccinations to the public. Once all frontline healthcare workers, as well as those living and working in long-term healthcare facilities are vaccinated, the next phase of the vaccine roll-out can begin. This is expected to commence in early March 2021.

The HSE plans is to establish ten mass-vaccination sites around the country for the general public. These will operate 10 hours a day, seven days a week, administering 350,000 vaccines per week. Locations for the vaccination centres are currently being identified and considered by the HSE for suitability.

A final list of mass vaccination centre locations will be provided to the union when the HSE has concluded its work on it. Intermediate centres will also be established for non-urban locations with smaller populations.

Fórsa official, Chris Cully meets with the HSE every week for updates, to represent members’ voices and ensure a smooth implementation of the programme.

“It is anticipated that approximately 2,000 staff will be required to staff these centres, with 1,000 of them administering the vaccines. The remaining 1,000 staff will be deployed to carry out other important functions at the centres, such as registration, scheduling, IT support, portering, security and traffic management,” she said.

Chris added that the HSE’s workforce plan was at an advanced stage of development, and unions expect to see it by end of next week.

“Some workers may need to be redeployed into vaccination centres, but this will not be done without consultation. Others may have to be specifically recruited to meet the high numbers required in such a short timeframe.

“In a push to try maximise resources available, volunteers will be sought to set aside part-time patterns. We are also encouraging retired members of staff to get involved in the roll-out,” Chris said.

Fórsa’s head of health, Éamonn Donnelly explained that the usual recruitment process would not suffice in this instance, due to the size of the task at hand.

“The large scale roll-out could not be implemented by existing resources as, unlike in March 2020, health services in the community sector, such as primary care remain in place. The incoming block of staff needs to be in situ and task-ready as the supply chain of the vaccine speeds up, and we may have to consider a change in normal recruitment practise in this instance,” he said.

Once the mass-vaccination programme is in place, it is anticipated that one million vaccines could be administered each month. Each person will require two doses to be protected.

In addition to this, once Ireland receives vaccinations that don’t need to be refrigerated in special conditions, GP offices and pharmacies can also aid with administration.

Fórsa is engaging in ongoing consultation with the HSE on the roll-out of vaccinations and members will be updated accordingly. If you do not receive emails from Fórsa, please ensure we have your correct information by updating your contact details here. 

It’s never been more important – or easier– to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact us HERE. 

The education department is to launch a ‘digital wellbeing series’ for schools staff, along with a ‘digital gym’ for the school community. The new tools will be live-streamed from next Monday (1st February).

The digital wellbeing series will give access to monthly, theme-based, seminars presented by experts on wellbeing and health issues. A range of guides will also be available to download.

And, as gyms across the country remain closed under Level Five Covid restrictions, the digital gym will provide up to four gym classes a day, including HIIT training, yoga, mindfulness, Pilates and more. Participants will have the option to access recordings or join the live class.

The department has launched a booklet with details of the resources, including the schedule for the February instalment of the digital wellbeing series including a session on managing your finances. February’s schedule for the digital gym, is available HERE.

Register for the Department of Education Wellbeing Together Online Portal here: https://wellbeingtogether.spectrum.life/login. To register for the first time, use organisation code, ylVIIU17. Contact support@spectrum.life if you have problems signing up, or hello@spectrum.life if you have issues with the portals.

Fórsa members working in education are now voting to decide whether to back acceptance or rejection of the proposed new agreement, Building Momentum.

The proposed deal will affect your pay and working conditions over the coming years. It’s also the first public service agreement to address the additional working time introduced under the 2013 Haddington Road agreement.

Building Momentum also includes a commitment to a review of the special needs assistants’ (SNA) contract, including the appropriate use of the contracted 72 hours.

The progressive nature of the pay measures in the deal means its percentage value is heavily skewed towards staff earning less than €50,000 a year. If accepted, SNAs and clerical officers would see total percentage increases of 6.4% at the 1st point of the scale, 5.3% on mid-point and 3.9% at the top of scale.

Because of Covid-19 restrictions, Fórsa members can only vote via our electronic voting platform. You need a unique voter code to enable you to vote, and this code has been sent to eligible Fórsa members by email.

If you’ve not received your unique code via email, and you believe you are eligible to vote, you should contact our email helpline at ballothelpdesk@forsa.ie immediately.

Fórsa’s elected National Executive has given detailed consideration to the proposed agreement, and has overwhelmingly decided to recommend ACCEPTANCE in this ballot. 

Don’t let others make this crucial decision about your pay and working conditions. Make sure your voice is heard by casting your vote before 5.00pm on Thursday 11th February.

Details of the proposed new agreement, including the full text of Building Momentum, are available on www.forsa.ie

Period products will be accessible to all from public service buildings including schools and education institutions if a new Bill is enacted.

The Period Products (Free Provisions) Bill, introduced in the Seanad earlier this month, would also oblige the health minister to run an information campaign to ensure people know where to obtain the products.

Senator Rebecca Moynihan, who tabled the Bill, explained that many people could not afford period products and had to go without, which is detrimental to their mental health.

“My period justice bill aims to ensure that everybody can access period products, at no cost, whenever they’re required. We can reduce and eradicate period poverty in our lifetime, and this bill aims to make meaningful change for those who need it,” she said.

The British Trades Union Congress (TUC) has also highlighted the high cost of period products. Sian Elliot, its women’s equality policy officer, said menstruation was treated as a private matter despite affecting half the world’s population.

“The financial burden of having a period is felt acutely by the most vulnerable. Women struggling to make ends meet in low-paid, precarious work. Girls living in low income households. Asylum seekers, refugees and homeless people. No one should be excluded from participating in education, work or society because of their period,” she said.

A separate Government bill, which would require the health department to introduce a free period products scheme, was also introduced this week. Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee commended the work of voluntary groups who have been filling the gap so far. “The Government is now stepping up to the mark and will provide these products free to all who need them,” she said.

Senator Moynihan launched a survey examining the causes of period poverty. It aims to calculate the severity of the issue across the country, as well as identify potential solutions. You can participate here.

Ireland’s journey from a predominantly conservative country to one of the most socially liberal in Europe has seen an evolution in the legal protections for LGBTIQ people, according to a recent report by the International Institute of European Affairs (IIEA).

The study, which assesses attitudes towards LGBTIQ rights across the European Union, placed Ireland in the top ten countries, with 83% of respondents agreeing that gay, lesbian and bisexual people should have the same rights as heterosexuals.

Ireland also performs well on legal protections for sexual and gender minorities, and other actions like establishing LGBTIQ equality action plans, engaging with civil society organisations and providing financial support to LGBTIQ civil society organisations.

Research suggests that countries with more favourable views towards LGBTIQ people are more often than not those which have implemented pro-LGBTIQ policy initiatives.

Irish laws prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity across a broad range of fields, including employment, education, the provision of and access to goods and services and housing.

While Ireland is seen as progressive in its attitudes towards LGBTIQ rights, there is still some work to do. The OECD has recommended a number of further actions including the enforcement of LGBTIQ-inclusive anti-discrimination hate crime and hate speech laws.

Get more information and read the report HERE.

It’s never been more important – or more easy – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact us HERE.

Fórsa’s national executive committee (NEC) has commissioned a new membership data system to replace the current arrangements. APT Solutions, which specialises in trade union and not-for-profit membership systems, has been engaged as the partner for the union’s membership and technology project.

The union’s strategic organisational review team (SORT), which has responsibility for the project, put forward their detailed proposal following extensive research and comprehensive engagement with activists, branches, staff and external technology consultants.

The membership and technology project aims to ensure that Fórsa’s membership database gives activists and staff with the tools to improve services and membership growth.

By the end of 2021, the implementation phase of this project will have delivered a standardised Fórsa membership system, a web solution and supplementary tools which offer branches up-to-date and accurate data, and a set of staff and branch-supporting processes, amongst others.

Fórsa official and SORT member Richy Carrothers said that this key strategic development will aid greater connectivity with members and will provide a modern approach to Fórsa’s trade union activity.

“This is more than a technology project. It is in essence the essential tool to enable the transition from the past, and will significantly improve all aspects of union activity into the future,” he said.

Richy explained that there is a determination to ensure that all of the key stakeholders in our union are heard and involved in helping design and test the new systems.

“A survey will issue shortly to all staff and branches to supplement the research already undertaken,” he said. 

“This will further help the union understand what tools and processes are required to support their essential work on-behalf of members,” he explained.

For more information on the membership technology project click HERE. 

It’s never been more important – or more easy – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact us HERE.

Workers who wish to join Fórsa can to do so using a new ‘join online’ function on the union’s website.

Going live with the new system follows several months of research, preparation and testing aimed at making it easier than ever to join the union. It also goes live as the union continues to process a large number of new membership applications, as interest in joining the union has surged since the onset of the Covid-19 crisis.

Fórsa’s general secretary Kevin Callinan commented: “The current crisis has created the necessity to be able to carry out our business in different ways. Work on this project had commenced before the Covid-19 crisis took hold, and its completion marks a vital step as we tackle the challenges of living in changed times.

“We can see that more people want to join a union in response to what’s happening in the wider economy. It’s vital that they can take those initial steps quickly and easily, and making the membership application process more accessible is part of that process.

“This is a crucial new venture to enable Fórsa to substantially increase our membership - and to strengthen the union’s hand - at a critical time in the union’s development,” he said.

The online facility is a streamlined and simplified membership application process, and will be the quickest and easiest way to join the union. All incoming applications will continue to be subject to check-off and approval by Fórsa branches and the national executive committee, while the new online system is designed to ease the administrative burden on branches.

You can join Fórsa online at https://join.forsa.ie/

Fórsa is here to protect you if you have problems arising from the coronavirus or other workplace issues. The best way to contact the union at this time is HERE.

We will deal with queries as quickly as we can but, needless to say, the union will prioritise cases where members’ jobs and incomes are at immediate risk – as well as any serious health and safety issues that may arise.

Fórsa has cancelled all face-to-face meetings for the time being. The union is redeploying its staff to prioritise engagement with management on proposals arising from the Covid-19 public health crisis, and to provide rapid and efficient responses to members’ queries and concerns.

Fórsa's main phone line (01 817 1500) is now open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Alternatively members can use the Contact Us page on the Fórsa website to submit queries directly to the relevant division within Fórsa and this remains the most efficient way to access advice directly.

Wherever possible, Fórsa staff have been equipped to work remotely. Therefore, members should not attend Fórsa offices at this time. If you have a query or concern, the best way to raise it is to contact the union HERE.